Pac-12 Championship: Stanford leads UCLA at halftime

After a blistering first quarter that saw both teams score touchdowns on their opening drives, the Pac-12 Championship Game between Stanford and UCLA slowed down a bit in the second quarter. Waves of rain made the feel much more slippery and both teams slowed their initial pace.

End result: Stanford took 17-14 at the half, with both teams showing the ability to move the ball easily. Stanford took the lead as time expired, following an impressive two-minute drill that put them in field goal position with two ticks on the clock.

Two observations from this blogger:

1. On a muddy field, it’s always better to know where you’re going. Look for both defenses, especially the defensive linemen, to struggle in the second half. The offensive lineman know where they’re going, giving them great leverage to open big holes for the running backs.

2. Look for David Shaw to flex his brain at halftime. He’s been named the Pac-12 Coach of hte Year two years straight. He makes adjustments with the best of them.

Enjoy the second half. You can follow my Twitter feed on thei game at @alsaracevic.